Jericho Old New Hope Chapter 6
by Incarta Inc
Summary: After defeating the mystery villian who blew up the cyber elf lab, Jericho finds himself, not receiving a hero's thankyou, but a prison cell. And he doesn't even know why...


His stomach grumbled. It had been a long time since Jericho had seen or heard the guard and he was beginning to wonder if he'd ever see him again. He'd lost track of time, but he knew a night had come and gone since the incident at the labs. No amount of shouting at the guard had attracted any attention. He was alone. The other 3 cells in this small prison were empty. Jericho had had time to think in the cold, damp cell about just what had happened. He hadn't been told what he did wrong, but from the name calling he'd received all the way here, he could only assume amongst all the confusion that he had been mistaken for a maverick.

He was laying on his tiny bed, breathing in the cold air blowing through the tiny grated window in the concrete wall. He was trying to be as patient as possible, expecting them to work out the mistake at any moment. But what was taking so long? Had he been forgotten about? Did suspected mavericks even get investigated anymore? In the current climate of war, had it really come down to any reploid accused or accidentally involved in fowl deeds was just executed without looking into the situation? He couldn't feel surprised. With resources so strained, it was quicker and easier on everyone this way. But now he was on the receiving end of such thinking, he prayed he would prove his thoughts wrong.

Jericho let out a big sigh and shut his eyes.

"Hey!"

Jericho snapped back from his dozing with a start and nearly fell off his bunk. He looked up at the guard in the dim light, standing at the cell door, holding it open in a casual manner.

"What's going on?" Jericho asked, sitting up and wincing at the pain in his back, forming from the hard bunk.

A uniformed reploid with haircut to match looked up at him from a notebook, clutching the world's largest set of card keys. "You're free to go. Your things are in the lobby. Sorry for the confusion." the guard turned to leave.

"Wait wait, what happened?" Jericho called out, jumping to his feet and scrambling after the guard, who stopped at the exit and looked back at him. He only stood about 5 foot 2 inches off the ground and looked up at Jericho with disinterested eyes.

"Something about you not being the maverick who blew up the elf lab. Look, I dunno buddy, you'll get a report card on the way out. Just follow the hallway and stop at the door, smile at the camera and the person on the other side should let you out. Excuse me." The little man wondered off out another security door, slamming it shut behind him leaving Jericho standing in the cold hallway, half dressed and feeling quite as silly as he was confused. He didn't like wandering without a shirt on.

It didn't matter right now though. He was free and did as instructed. He made his way to the end of the hallway and out into the lobby. The room he entered was empty of life and object for a few moments before the one door in the room suddenly swung open and a tall figure stepped in.

"Welcome back Jericho" A voice greeted him.

"Commander Signas!" Jericho exclaimed.

"Take it easy lad," Signas chuckled, marching across the room and shaking the half naked reploid's hand, seemingly happy to find him, "Everything has been taken care of."

Jericho stuttered, completely taken by surprise, "What… What happened?"

Signas patted Jericho's shoulder, still smiling, "I must apologise for everything. There was a lot of confusion. I hope your stay in prison wasn't too bad."

"I'm fine, but.."

"It was all a big mix up I'm afraid. When the guards made it to the cyber elf lab and saw Bailey dead and you standing over him, they immediately assumed that you had blown up the labs and killed him as he tried to save the day. Obviously, we got it round the wrong way…"

"Why would they think that in the first place?" asked a confused Jericho, "Who's Bailey?"

"Lieutenant Bailey was a well known and skilled hunter. And you were the unknown new comer. Nobody ever thought he could have turned maverick on us… such a loss…" Signas went quiet again, shaking his head and closing his eyes.

"I see now." Jericho said, looking around the empty room for whoever was supposed to be bringing him his belongings.

"But after the testimony of Miss Kathleen, who saw most of your epic battle and reviewing what we could salvage from the security cameras, as well as finding the maverick virus in Bailey's body, we realised our mistake and you're free to go. Well done."

"er… thank you." Jericho said sheepishly.

"Now. Wait there a moment." Signas instructed before leaving the room by the only door again. Jericho stood in the empty room, his head hurting. He wasn't great at handling all this tension at once.

The door opened again and Jericho turned to meet what he assumed would be Signas again but instead he was met by a small flying object whizzing across the room and attaching herself to his face.

"Wai! Jericho!" a high pitched voice squealed as the little object hung on tight.

"Gah!" Jericho yelped, flapping around "Prism!… that's my nose…"

Laughing filled the room as Signas stood at the door watching them. Calm would eventually be restored as the gleeful cyber elf finally detached herself from Jericho's face and settled for bobbing around his head at high speed instead. Jericho watched her, trying not to get dizzy and to understand what all the attention was about. Signas as usual, had an explanation.

"The cyber elf labs were wrecked by the bombs. We wont be able to resume work on the technology for several months. What few elves that survived will be kept in deep sleep as they were before, but little Prism here wouldn't stop whining about wanting to be with you. In fact, she put up such a fuss, the lab crews are afraid to touch her. The other elves were already asleep, but with your permission, I'd like to request that Prism stays with you, for the time being."

Prism danced around in front of Jericho's face, "Please say yes! Say yes Jericho!"

Jericho frowned a little, but smiled, "Well, alright. As long as you don't cause any trouble"

Prism squealed and hugged Jericho's forehead as Signas chuckled in the doorway at Jericho's worried expression.

"It's settled then" Signas said turning to leave, "She stays with you until the new lab is built. It's a damn shame that the research has been set back so far. But thanks to you, Bailey didn't get away with any of our research either. The maverick organisations are still behind us. "

"About Kat." Jericho said, thinking that Prism may not like such conversation. Also because he knew very little of cyber elves in the first place, "Is she ok? She practically ate that explosion…"

"She's in hospital. A little beat up but she'll be fine. You should go visit her. Thank her for helping to clear your name." he smiled and winked at him, which Jericho could only return with an awkward look.

"I'll do that." he finally answered after a short pause. Signas nodded and turned to leave.

"Oh. And Jericho?"

"Yes Sir?"

"Put some clothes on"

"Yes Sir…"

-----------------------

"Oh no. Not you again…"

"Hey Doc!" Jericho chirped, patting the little reploid on the back as he strolled into the hospital waiting room. Doctor Namco just frowned and crossed her arms.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, "You're not scheduled for a check up today. Was it the fight? Is something wrong?"

"No, no…", Jericho answered, "I feel fine. The prison medics checked me out. I got lucky. I'm just here to check on… a friend."

"Oh?" Doctor Namco looked up at the hunter from behind a box of equipment, "Who's that then?"

"Kat. She was injured in the explosion."

"Oh! Of course she was." Doctor Namco dropped the box on a desk across the room with a loud crash, "I should have guessed."

"Is she here?" Jericho said whilst fiddling with an unidentified utensil he found on a shelf, which was promptly taken back by the doctor.

"She's down the hallway. Third door on the right. And don't touch anything. Are you trying to hurt yourself?"

"Thanks Doc!" Jericho called out as he exited the room and made his way out of sight. He was already gone before the little doctor could answer.

"No problem…" she answered, knowing he wouldn't hear.

Jericho trotted down the hallway towards the room. At first, he moved quite quickly, but as he neared the door he began to slow down and hesitate, before coming to a complete stop just before the door.

He suddenly began to ponder what he was doing here. Would she really appreciate a visit from him? They had only known each other for a few hours before the incident at the cyber elf labs. It wasn't like they were really friends or anything, despite what he had told the doctor.

The hunter shuffled his sky blue boots, wondering if she might even be mad at him for putting her in the wrong place at the wrong time.

He turned around, but almost immediately he began to question his doubts. He owed her a visit after all. A thank you for helping to clear his name of the accursed maverick label.

Jericho swirled again, to face the door. What did he have to lose after all? And she was bed ridden. It wasn't like she could punch him in the face or anything. Even if he only ended up giving her an apology and a thank you, he would consider his mission here a success.

He knocked on the door. Kat's voice answered a second later, ushering him in.

"Jericho!" she half cheered as he entered, a big grin on her face. Jericho couldn't help but breath a quiet sigh of relief before returning her greeting. The light brown haired reploid looked worse for ware, her right leg strung up and armourless and her upper body heavily padded. She had some nasty gashes on her forehead, as well as some signs of burning. Her hair had lost some of that shine he liked too, but he hardly thought it fit to point out.

"I know" she chuckled, looking down at herself, "Anyone but you would think I've been in a flyer accident."

"Jeez!" Jericho exclaimed, stepping up to the bed, "Nothing permanent I hope."

Kat rasped at him, "Nah. Nothing Doctor Namco cant fix after a week or two. It's all pretty standard-caught in an explosion, ceiling collapse on self-stuff."

Jericho cringed, "I am so sorry about that."

"What? Don't be. It wasn't your fault." Kat waved her arm at the chair next to the bed, "Sit down, Jeri'. You look like a spare part."

He did as he was told, still feeling a little guilty, "Seriously Kat. You wouldn't have even been there if it wasn't for me."

"Forget it." she said, pushing herself up in the bed and wincing with pain as she did, "We did our job and stopped Bailey from escaping with the cyber elf tech and joining the mavericks. I think we were damn lucky you were around."

Jericho raised an eyebrow, "That's a pretty positive way of looking at it. If we had been a few minutes earlier, we both wouldn't be here right now."

Kat pouted and looked at him with a wry smile, "Guess we're lucky I can't read a map then."

They laughed out loud, a doctor in the next room shaking her head at all the noise.

"Thank you… for clearing my name."

"Can't have no heroes hanging out on the bad side of a prison cell."

Jericho chuckled, "Hero? Did all that ceiling hit you square on the head?"

"No." she stopped, "Well, yes, but that's not the point."

He looked down and shook his head "Like you said, we were just doing our job."

Kat looked at the top of his head, "You don't seem to realise what you did that day. If the Cyber elf data had fallen into maverick hands, they'd have been given a great leap forward in their own research into the technology. And that would only course more trouble."

Jericho looked up, "I suppose…"

"Is someone talking about me?" a little voice piped up from behind the blue reploid's head.

"What the…" exclaimed Kat.

"Prism!" Jericho snapped, "I thought I told you to calm down and go to sleep!"

The little cyber elf floated out from behind Jericho's head where she had been concealing herself on the back of his neck behind his light blue hair, "I am calm" she grumbled loudly, as she pulsated with light next to him.

"Oh!" Kat squealed, "This is your cyber elf, Prism? Groovy"

"Oh yes… she's a barrel of laughs…" he said, hinting at sarcasm heavily. Prism ignored him completely and started hovering over the bed.

"Gee" she said, pulsing a few times, "If I was a healer. I could merge with you and make you all better Miss Kat."

"Don't you dare." Jericho ordered.

"What kind of elf are you?" asked Kat, mesmerized by the little mechanical creature.

"Don't know yet." Prism sighed, "The scientists haven't figured me out yet. They keep getting blown up before they find the answer"

"Yes they do" Kat said, sounding kind of distant. A silence fell over them as they were reminded of how many lives had been claimed by that particular act of terrorism.

"We should leave you to rest" Jericho said, finally braking the ice.

"Oh. Ok. Come again though right?" said Kat, snuggling down in the bed.

Jericho patted her shoulder as he got up to leave, "Sure."

They said they're goodbyes and left the room, Jericho smiling to himself as he closed the door behind them. It seemed he could now call Kat a friend after all. Prism floated off down the hall ahead of him.

"Prism! Put that fruit bowl back in the room"

------

Another day came to a close in the city of Neopolis. The dusk sky was red and the air warm. Jericho had taken to the window ledge of his room, his legs dangling over the quiet streets below, the streets lights complimenting the view nicely. He'd washed the prison smell out of his hair but not the confused feelings in his head. No sooner had he made the decision to quit the war, had he suddenly done something heroic and saved the day. Now he was torn. It wasn't so hard when he was a nobody. He could have quit and no one would care. But now, people were taking notice. He'd noticed at least three people pointing him out on the walk home. And one person had even shouted praise. He had been hard pressed to receive praise from his commanders at Malbro, so getting appreciation from civilians, regular people, was a whole new, somewhat strange experience for the young reploid.

On top of that, Commander Signas had taken a liking to him too. Jericho had never given much thought to what his superiors thought of him. He avoided them and they left him alone to get on with things. But it was different here. He had a chance to step up. A clean slate to write a new story on.

Could he really let these people down now by cutting the story short? Could he really step back into mediocrity after all that had happened already? He wasn't sure he wanted all the attention, but perhaps this new found affection could prove useful. He'd been stuck in a rut for so long. Maybe that's why he never made much progress in finding out what happened to his creator and his siblings. Was this the breakthrough he was waiting for?

Jericho looked up at the first few stars coming into view, blinking back at them.

"Fine. I'll stay on. I've got plenty of new options to help me find everyone and I can do some more good for this world while I'm at it. I wont quit."

He smiled, an instant before a light approached him from the side, floating along next to the building.

"Hey Prism. Enjoy your little wonder?"

The little cyber elf flickered in the dark and came to a rest on his head, grasping at his light blue hair, "Yes thank you. It was fun. I flew right to the top of the building and watched all the city lights coming on. And then I looked in all the windows on the top floor!"

Jericho grumbled, "er… you shouldn't do that."

"I know. It's tiring." she said, flopping around on his head.

"That's not what I mean" he held off a chuckle, "People don't know much about cyber elves yet. You might scare someone."

"Oh…" she said quietly, gripping his hair as a gust of wind blew past them. Jericho looked off in the opposite direction and squinted at the dust clouds at the far end of the city being blown in.

"Boy, I would not like to be out in that desert tonight. That storm is really picking up." the reploid commented.

"Yep. Sure glad we got here when we did." thanked Prism, floating in through the window to escape the accelerating winds.

"… yeah… I'm glad we're here too."

---

The sand storm filled the desert with tornados and high winds of grit and fine dust, ripping and rendering anything it's strength would let it. The storm raged for many miles and previous storms could last for days. These occurrences were becoming more and more common place as the desert got larger year by year. They kept every hunter at home inside and every maverick of the sand hidden in their underground hollows. It was as if mother nature herself was forcing the war to cease. If only for a short time.

But the world doesn't stop turning just because you cant go outside.

"Minrikk!" a voice boomed, echoing from the office of the maverick leader, disturbing the quiet tunnels deep underground. The wind could be heard, even down here, whistling through any nook or cranny it could, the strong reinforcements protecting the inhabitants from the danger.

Minrikk himself didn't dare answer and just continued to pace the underground passage to his leader's room. He wiped the worried look from his features as he knocked on the door and stepped inside.

"Sir!" he saluted, saying no more. The cold gaze complimented by the fiery red hair of his master seemed more intimidating then usual. As if he had already had bad news from him.

"Well?" the maverick leader asked, clasping his hands together on the desk, not breaking his fixation on the little reporter's eyes.

Minrikk eyed his clipboard before speaking, as if looking to make sure there was nothing he'd missed. Especially if it was any good news. He didn't find any. "The search parties made it back just in time before the storm really kicked off. They searched the north in as much detail as they could… but did not find your sister." he lowered his notations and fell silent, bracing for the impact.

The maverick leaders eyes flared as he visibly tried to contain himself, "What?"

Despite the less explosive reaction then he had been expecting, Minrikk's voice still squeaked a little as he answered, "They… they ran out of time Sir. The storm was already drawing in on the first day. And being so far from the base and so close to the hunter patrols from Neopolis…progress was hindered and slow… we just didn't have the reploid power to search fast enough…"

"You're telling me we've lost her?" the red armoured reploid finally snapped, "My sister! My sister is still out there in the sand storm?" He stood up quickly, knocking his chair backwards.

Minrikk took a step back, "I'm very sorry for your loss Sir…"

The maverick leader glared at him again, not impressed at all. "Get out Minrikk."

The little reploid didn't need telling twice, bolting for the exit as his master slumped back into his chair.

The maverick leader didn't let his despair surpass his anger until he knew he was alone again, "… I'm so sorry…"


End file.
